A Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officer has been charged with soliciting and receiving a Sh500,000 bribe to help a school file its tax returns.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arraigned Evans Agumba Oriato, a Compliance Officer based in Kisumu, before the Kisumu Anti-Corruption Court on bribery charges.
According to EACC, investigations revealed that the officer demanded a Sh1 million bribe from Jane Memorial Secondary School to “assist” in filing tax returns for the years 2016 to 2020.
The complainant reported that the suspect summoned them to his office to discuss the filing of nil returns.
Oriato allegedly demanded Sh1 million to resolve what he claimed were filing irregularities.
He received Sh500,000 as a down payment and was to be paid the balance upon completion of the process.
EACC said the suspect continued to demand the remaining amount, prompting the complainant to report the matter to its Western Regional Office in Kisumu.
“On December 31, 2021, he allegedly demanded Kes 1 million to help resolve purported filing irregularities and received a down payment of Kes 500,000, with the balance to be paid upon completion of the process.
“Afterward, the suspect persistently demanded the remaining amount, prompting the complainants to report the matter to EACC’s Western Regional Office in Kisumu,” EACC said.
Acting on the report, EACC officers conducted a sting operation that led to his arrest while receiving Sh250,000.
He was processed at the EACC offices and later released on a cash bail of KSh100,000 pending further action.
After completing investigations, EACC forwarded the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who reviewed the evidence and approved prosecution.
“EACC submitted the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who reviewed the evidence and concurred with the Commission’s recommendations to prosecute.”
Oriato was summoned on November 12, 2025, and booked at the Railways Police Station in Kisumu, where he spent the night before being arraigned in court.
He was charged with three counts of receiving a bribe, contrary to Section 6(1) as read with Section 18(1) and (2) of the Anti-Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.
The accused denied all charges and was released on a bond of Sh500,000 with a surety of a similar amount.
EACC said the operation is part of its broader crackdown on corruption within public institutions.
The Commission stated that the goal is to eliminate bribery at service delivery points and ensure Kenyans receive quality public services without extortion.
